The goal of this randomized study is to find out if animal-assisted therapy (AAT) - a structured program where trained animals take part in care sessions guided by health professionals - can help improve movement abilities in older adults with dementia or memory-related conditions who are staying in a medical rehabilitation unit.
The main questions this study aims to answer are:
* Can adding animal-assisted therapy to standard rehabilitation improve participants' movement and motor abilities better than standard rehabilitation alone?
* Can this combined approach help participants stay more independent in daily activities?
* Can this combined approach improve participants' quality of life?
* Can this combined approach reduce the risk of falls?
Researchers will compare two groups:
* Group 1 (experimental): Standard rehabilitation + animal-assisted therapy sessions with a trained dog and/or rabbits
* Group 2 (control): Standard rehabilitation alone
Both groups attend 2 one-hour rehabilitation sessions per week for 4 weeks.
Participants will:
* Complete movement and daily-life ability tests at the start and end of the study
* Attend 8 rehabilitation sessions (over 4 weeks)
* Participants in the animal therapy group will interact with a trained dog and/or rabbits during sessions, guided by a certified nurse-animal therapist, a psychomotor therapist, and a nursing assistant
* Be assessed at the end of the 4-week program (Week 6) to measure any changes in motor abilities, independence, quality of life, and fall risk